Witnesses: Towson Incident a ‘Mob Scene’

Captured on camera — some tense moments as police clash with people filling the streets of Towson’s business district late Saturday.

“It was just a mob scene basically . . .  something I’ve never seen before in my life,” said Zach Scarbath, who had just gotten off work, “(There were) some people out in the streets everywhere, cops on top of cars with bullhorns (and) fights left and right and I think around two they brought out the dogs and started pepper spraying people and everything.”

Police say the initial call came in from Recher Theatre about 11:30pm after a fraternity-sponsored event drew a capacity crowd and more.

The theatre’s owner says he closed the doors after admitting 630 people, but as many as four times that number remained out on the street.

“We had four people who were arrested for simple disorderly conduct or for refusing to follow the lawful orders by the officers to leave,” said Baltimore County Police Cpl. Cathy Batton, We also had three individuals that were arrested for assaults on law enforcement.  Three officers received non-life threatening injuries during the incident.”

Cpl. Batton says near 1:00am, the violence escalated when someone shot a 20-year old a short distance away.

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